Transatlantic nuclear waste ping pong makes no sense

Reacting to news that nuclear waste will be transported from Dounreay to the US and other waste from the US to Europe, Dr Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“Only the nuclear industry could think it was a good idea to risk swapping large quantities of one of the most dangerous materials on the planet across the Atlantic. Europe is littered with plenty of highly radioactive waste from both reactors and weapons, there cannot possibly be a need to be importing any more from the US, or for us to be sending ours to them.

“Nuclear waste should be dealt with as close to where it is produced as possible rather than risking transporting it in ships or planes. This waste will remain dangerous for tens of thousands of years. The consequences of an accident during transit would be horrific.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The UK plan to send 700kgs of Highly-Enriched Uranium, one of the most dangerous materials known to humans, to the US. Other nuclear waste will be transported from the US to France. David Cameron is expected to give more details in an announcement this evening in Washington.

2. Friends of the Earth Scotland is:
* Scotland's leading environmental campaigning organisation
* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland
* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 75 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups.
www.foe-scotland.org.uk